The Calgary Ability Network is back! If you are interested in being a part of collaborative groups addressing Poverty Reduction, Transportation, Recreation, or Human Rights, Check out http://www.calgaryabilitynetwork.ca/ or call 403 219 3606. These groups are open to everyone, and occur during the day.

Starting in June, you can take a bus to Banff for $10! Starting in Okotoks, with stops in Calgary, Cochrane and perhaps even Canmore, there will be ~13 round trips every day to start until they can work out what the demand will be. I will post more info as it becomes available.

The Disability Action Hall’s Speak Out Event will be held on June 2 this year. The theme this year is: ”Humanity & Me”, and is a celebration of the people who have created the rich disability history in Alberta. The event will be held at the Lougheed House (707 13 Ave SW) from 10am-3pm. There are some free tickets available for people with low incomes, and support workers get in for free. General admission will be $4 at the door. Please join us in celebrating the people who have made CASS and our larger communities what they are today.

Continuing on the Basketball hoop hunt, this week I have a list of some great spots in the NE:

Renfrew Aquatic Centre(810 13 Ave NE)

Abbeydale Community Association(821 Abbeydale Dr NE)

Monterey Park(@ Laguna Way/200 block of Los Alamos Way)

Temple Community Association167 Templegreen Rd NE)

Calgary Rotary Challenger Park Society(3688 48 Ave NE)—You will need to call ahead and book the basketball hoops at a rate of $52.50/hour.

Shaw Campus(2400 37 Ave NE)

Please keep telling me your favourite spots for summer activities!

FREE:

May 15:Indigenous Career Fair @ SAIT. Noon-4pm. Bring your resume to get advice on it, or to leave it with potential employers.

May 16:The Market on Stephen Ave is back! Every second Tuesday from 11am-5pm, Stephen Ave will be flooded with people and things. If you enjoy the hustle and bustle of a busy market street, this is a great way to spend the day.

Sled Islandis on its way, June 21-25. They are always looking for volunteers, if you would like to get in to the festival for free. This volunteer opportunity requires a significant time investment. Please see http://www.sledisland.com/get-involved/volunteerfor details.

There are some great spots for free outdoor basketball in Calgary. This week I will focus on North West Calgary spots, and each upcoming week I will have a new quadrant of the city for you to explore. I will not be including hoops set up at schools, although once schools are out for the summer, your basketball options will open up greatly.

Royal OakBasketball Playground @ 61 Royal Birkdale Dr NW

HamptonsOutdoor Rink @ Hamptons Blvd NW

John Laurie Park@ Edgemont Drive & Edgemont Blvd NW

Shouldice Aquatic Centre@ 5303 Bowness Rd NW

Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association@ 1320 5 Ave NW.

Do you have a favourite spot to shoot hoops? I’d love to hear about it from you!

May 13: Calgary Stampeders Fan Fest@ McMahon Stadium (1817 Crowchild Trail). 8:30am-1pm. Pancake breakfast from 8:30-9:30, then activities on the field until 1pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to kick off the season! See http://www.stampeders.com/fanfest/for more details.

May 13: New Brighton Community Street Market@ New Brighton Club (2 New Brighton Drive, SE) A bike Swap compliments this outdoor market- all are welcome. There will also be garage sales throughout the community.

May 13: Deer Run Community Garage Sale@ Deer Run Community Association (2223 146 Ave SE) Starts at 8am.

May 13: Westwinds Family Fun Day@ Park 96 (14660 Parkland Blvd SE) Noon-5pm. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the park and live music from the Westwinds choirs and concert bands.

May 11-13 African Film Festival@Globe Cinema (617 8 Ave SW). These films showcase Nigerian, Tanzanian, and other African & diaspora cinema. Tickets are $10 per film, or $35 for all four. For more info, check out http://afrikadey.com/film-festival

Spring is here-ish, and that means that Jane’s walks are back. The tenth anniversary of these local walks runs from May 5-7, and there is something for everyone. You can search for a walk near you by going to http://janeswalk.org/canada/calgary/ . Meet people, learn more about Calgary’s history, present and future.

Please let me know if you are interested in Escape Rooms-- We have a project brewing with one in our neighbourhood. Check your CASS email for more information, please.

FREE:

May 2: Alberta Theatre Projects Block Party @ Olympic Plaza. 11:30am-1:30pm. Celebrate the company’s new theatre season, and enjoy a free BBQ lunch and live music.

May 5: Bike to Work Day @ Eau Claire Festival Plaza (139 Barclay Parade). Free breakfast, live music and more to celebrate bicycling as transportation. See http://biketoworkdaycalgary.ca/ for more info.

May 6: Dog Fest @ Triwood Arena (2244 Chicoutimi Drive NW). Come check out the world of fancy dogs and their accessories. This event is free for humans, and $10/dog. www.dogfest.ca has all of the info.

May 5-7: Calgary Rock and Lapidary Show’s annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show @ Vivo (11950 Country Village Link NE) Tickets are $7/day, or you can volunteer for a two hour shift to get into the show for free on the day that you volunteer. Check out http://crlc.ca/volunteer for more info about volunteering at the show.

May 6: Calgary Bike Swap @ City Centre Parkade (340 10 Ave SW). 8am-4pm. Admission is $2, $15 to rack your bike for sale. This is a fun community event if you are looking to get a new bike, or just want to see what’s out there.

Deaf & Hear Alberta is offering an immersive ASL summer camp again this year. Camps will run August 8-11 and 14-17. Whether you have a background in ASL or not, there will be something for everyone at the camp. The cost is$250 if you register before June 30. If you are interested in the camp, but cannot afford the fee, please ask about financial assistance. More info can be found on the attached poster.

Apr 29: Calgary Creative Arts Guild Spring Show @ Montgomery Community Centre (5003 16 Ave NW) 10am-4pm. While admission is free, donations to the Veteran’s food bank are welcome at the event. See https://calgarycreativeartsguild.wordpress.com/ for more about the Calgary Creative Arts Guild.

Apr 29: “Astrophysics on the Cutting Edge” Open House @ Rothney Astrophysical Observatory (Priddis, Ab). The cost is $20 per car for this event, which runs from 8pm-11pm. For more information on this and other events at the observatory, check out https://www.ucalgary.ca/rao/2017_open

Apr 27-30: The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo @ BMO Centre Tickets start at $20 for a one day pass. Please see the Expo’s accessibility policy at https://calgaryexpo.com/about/policies/accessibility-policy/ to find out more about how to navigate the event with direct support workers, and any other questions you may have before you go.

April 29-30: Garden Show @ Spruce Meadows. The Calgary Horticultural Society is ready to help get you started on your garden. Tickets in advance are $18 and can be found through http://calhort.org/garden-show.aspx or $20 at the door.

Money Mattersis presenting their workshop series again beginning on May 31st. If you or someone you know self-identifies as having experienced mental health or addictions challenges, they are welcome to come and learn more about budgeting, assets, banking, credit, debt management and consumerism. Please see the attached flyer for more information.

“Signing Naturally” ASL courses are coming to SCOPE beginning April 24th. These immersive “no voice” courses are fun and interactive. Please see the attachment for more information.

Tuesday April 18th will be CASS’ Advisory Forum’s 2nd Annual Park Cleanup Day. We will meet at the office at Noon, or at the parking lot of Airways park (corner of 27th Avenue and 16th St NE) at 12:15. There will be coffee and tea and time outdoors with friends while we pitch in to help keep our community clean. Please email rachel.janzen@c-a-s-s.org if you plan on attending so that we can make sure that we have enough supplies for everyone.

The Calgary Comic Expois coming up fast! For more information, head over to www.calgaryexpo.com for the general scoop. If you want to know more about the Calgary Expo’s accessibility policy, you can head directly to https://calgaryexpo.com/about/policies/accessibility-policy/ . If you require a direct support to be with you at the event, let them know and one direct support person can get complimentary entrance to the expo with you. If you are looking to volunteer https://calgaryexpo.com/about/crew/ is the place to check out what you might be able to help out with.

FREE:

April 22: Beacon Original Art Annual Spring Show and Sale@ Bridgeland Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Ave NE) 10am-4pm. Art of all mediums will be on display.

PAID:

Apr 21 & 22: Ujamaa Grandmas’ Fabric and Yarn Sale@ Woodcliff United Church (5010 Spruce Drive SW). Fri 2:30-7:30pm, Sat 9am-2:30pm. This is the best place to go to build your crafting stash all year! Admission is $2 and the space is bursting with fabric, yarn and notions. All proceeds go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Apr 13: Adults Only Night: The Final Frontier @ Telus Spark Science Centre. Come learn more about our inspirational solar system. This event is a regular admission event ($19.95) but is free if you use one of CASS’ Community Partnership memberships. Please contact me if you would like to sign one out. If you choose to explore the Star Trek exhibit, it will cost $5/person even with the pass.

Apr 14: Easter at the Market @ Calgary Farmer’s Market (510 77 Ave SE) 10 am-3pm. Enjoy the celebration and bring a non-perishable food donation to get a picture with the Easter Bunny.

Apr 15: Classic Simpsons Trivia @ Dickens Pub (1000 9 Ave SW). Get a team together of up to 8 people to answer trivia questions and enjoy some episodes. There is no cover charge, but you will have to pay for any food/drinks you have. There is an elevator if needed. Please have a plan to let Dickens staff know so that they can bring it up to ground level for you when you get there.

April 15: Taste of Jamaica @ Thorncliffe Greenview Community Association (5600 Centre St N) Noon-8pm. Admission is $15 and includes a serving of authentic Jamaican food. There will be dance, music, activities and a kids area, all geared towards giving a taste of Jamaican culture.

April 17-23 Calgary Underground Film Fest @ The Globe Cinema (617 8 Ave SW) Ticket and pricing info can be found here: https://www.calgaryundergroundfilm.org/ticket-info There are 40 films, 20 shorts, and even a Saturday Morning Cartoon event, complete with a custom arcade!

The CASS Dinner Club will be on April 5, 2017 at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Marlborough. You must RSVP by noon on April 4th by calling (403) 283-0611 (ask for the dinner club) or email dinner-club@c-a-s-s.org to attend. Please arrive no earlier than 5:45 pm for the reservation.

Momentum (www.momentum.org) is hosting a free info session on Wednesday April 5th. From 6:30-8:30pm about building and maintain healthy credit. If you have struggled with credit and debt, this information session is designed to give insight into what credit scores look at and how to get yours right.

FREE:

Apr 1-9: Vintage and Antiques Sale @ Heritage Park. 10am-6pm. Furniture, china, toys and jewelry are available to look at or buy at the celebration tent in heritage park. Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of $2.

Apr 3-5: Dance @Noon @ FR Matthew Theatre, UofC. This free, noon-hour program showcases the work of the junior students in the dance program.